Opinion: Letters

John Waters: Do more than just whine on Facebook

It is very easy to sit at home and post whining comments on Facebook or Twitter.

"I think the city needs to do this or that better." "I think we need more retail stores." "They are not doing the roads right." And so on and so on into the noise level.

These are whines. They appear for a few minutes and then nobody pays any attention to them. Too many people have the opinion that this whining is of value. They may make the few people that read them know that someone agrees with them, but they have no effect on getting things done. The whiners and the viewers then go about their normal business and nothing changes.

Involvement, on the other hand, gets things done.

As I read the comments on Facebook, I am pretty sure that very few, if any, of the posters attend council meetings, talk to council members directly, attend legislative sessions, belong to the chamber, attend the Merchant Association meetings, volunteer to help with events, join planning committees, etc.

Preston Troutman, our mayor, hosts "Coffee with the Mayor" each month. It's an opportunity to work directly with the mayor to help mold the direction the city is taking. But only a handful of people show up. Heck, you can telephone or email the mayor, council members of both the city and county with your ideas, also.

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Notice please that I said "your ideas," not your complaints. If you don't suggest a solution, you are just whining. Of course, to have a solution that makes sense, you would need to be involved so that you understand the finances, the long-term plans, grant proposals, state legislation, etc. You get that understanding by being involved. Otherwise, any comments are just more whining.

So stop complaining and whining and get out of the house and get involved. Join a committee, attend and participate in meetings, discuss your solutions in person with city and county officials. Bring forward your constructive ideas and help make things happen.

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